Ticket with data hidden by scrapable paint and with integrated scratching portion

ABSTRACT

A ticket with data hidden by paint that can be scraped with an integrated scratching portion includes a solid substrate on which an area is made which bears, impressed thereon, some data to be concealed and hidden from view by a paint which is removable by means of scraping operated by the person who must acquire the aforesaid data. The aforesaid scraping of said removable paint preferably occurs by means of the integrated scratching portion, detachable from the aforesaid substrate via the user carrying out, with his fingers, several circular oscillation movements along at least one perforated axis delimiting the integrated scratching portion.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is the national stage entry of International Patent Application No. PCT/IT2010/000067, filed on Feb. 22, 2010.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to the ticket field characterized by the presence of a solid substrate, on which particular concealed data is impressed thereon and hidden by means of the application of paints that can be removed via scraping; more particularly, the present invention relates to an innovative device to be used for scratching the aforesaid removable paints.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The possibility to hide data by means of a paint that can be removed via simple scraping, by a person who possesses or who in any case purchased the possibility to know the aforesaid data, has since 1994 inspired the production of the so-called instant lottery tickets. Such lotteries consist of plasticized paper tickets with the application, on a limited surface area of the ticket itself, of an area hidden by a particular covering paint, removable via scraping, which in turn hides the possible winning combination (generally symbols or digits) and the relative money prize. The common phrase “scratch and win” for the identification of said instant lotteries comes from this.

The transposition of said “scratch and win” system gradually led over time to the increasingly deep-rooted and massive development of processes which essentially base their functionality on the aforesaid system constituted by a ticket with hidden data. Indeed, it is quite common to find tickets constituted by substrates on which a circumscribed area bearing activation codes, symbols or other elements is applied, such area concealed by the aforesaid scrapable paint. For explanatory purposes, the universality of said system composed of a ticket with hidden data is evident, not just in the obtainment of the numerous aforesaid instant lotteries, but also in the creation of cards that can be purchased for cell phone recharging, for parking payment, for concealing particular codes or secret personal access codes or PINs, for activating very different service types and for any other use.

Leaving out of the discussion the indisputable utility of one such system based on the concealment of the data reported on a solid substrate, through paint removable via scraping, it must be noted that there is a rather clear defect of the aforesaid prior art.

Specifically, the aforesaid defect consists of the difficulty that presents itself each time one must scrape the paint covering the sensitive data protected and reported on the substrate of the ticket itself. Even if it is recommended to use the edge of a coin for carrying out such task, oftentimes said coin cannot be found at that precise moment or is in any case difficult to find. One then resorts to using any object, including keys or even nails, but this leads not only to the scraping of the covering paint but also to the damaging of the related solid substrate and hence the total or partial cancellation of the data impressed thereon.

Given the importance of the impressed data, hidden by the aforesaid concealing paint, whose discovery thereof is often acquired at a considerable cost, there arises the need to make, according to the present invention, a device capable of being readily available for such purpose and which at the same time preserves said data from deterioration during the scraping itself

Other advantages of exemplifying and non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompany drawings.

SUMMARY

The inventive concept underlying the present invention consists of providing for a ticket composed of a solid substrate of variable size and shape, on which a more or less wide area is reserved with specific data impressed thereon, such data in turn concealed by a cover or paint that can be removed via scraping. In addition, the main aspect of the present invention consists of the fact that said ticket has a predetermined perforation line which delimits a defined portion, capable via the simple action of the fingers of being first detached and then used as a device adapted for scraping the aforesaid removable paint. In this manner, one obtains a ticket, with substrate reporting data hidden by a scrapable paint, provided with total autonomy with regard to the function of the same. In particular, said inventive ticket does not require, for the removal of the paint, the aid of external devices such as coins or any other structure differently adapted for such purpose, since it exclusively uses the scratching portion integrated in the same, detached when necessary. Also, the aforesaid characteristic of autonomy is enhanced by the fact that the detachment from the aforesaid integrated scratching portion occurs along the predetermined perforated line, the user simply carrying out, with his fingers, a downward and upward oscillatory movement of said portion until it is completely detached. Both the scratching portion and the ticket can be made with at least one hole, so that they can be hung as pendants/charms or ornamental objects.

In addition to the autonomy characteristic mentioned above, said integrated scratching portion with its constituent technical properties allows obtaining the removal or better yet the scraping of the paint concealing the data, in a simple and entirely safe manner, i.e., without in any manner damaging the substrate and the data impressed thereon.

Another advantage and technical characteristic that diversifies the ticket, according to the present invention, is that the integrated scratching portion can also constitute a further decorative motif of the system itself. In particular, said integrated scratching portion can be characterized by abstract shapes, letter shapes, writings and/or symbols, which once detached could be collected or reused for other advertising or ornamental purposes, and thus are capable of attracting the attention of the potential purchaser-user. Alternatively, said scratching portion can be provided already detached and sold together with the solid support.

A further objective is that of proposing a ticket with data hidden by paint scrapable with integrated scratching portion which can be obtained on an industrial scale, whose components are of standard type and easily available on the market, and whose production is fully sustainable from an economical and environmental standpoint.

Regarding the constituent materials of said inventive ticket, these can be selected by one skilled in the art so as to meet the technical characteristics of this particular field, including solidity, strength and above all complete opacity; nevertheless, said materials can comprise natural and artificial cellulose type, metal type, preferably tinfoil, and/or polymers of plastic type. In addition, the aforesaid ticket can exist in the form of composite material, i.e., made with the aforesaid materials in the form of several superimposed sheets, mutually joined by means of common production techniques currently present in the field. Alternatively, both said ticket and said scratching portion can be made in a manner so as to adhere, with an adhesive or due to a magnetic film, to a flat or metal surface.

With regard to the size of said inventive ticket, this is not strictly pertinent to the object of the present invention; nevertheless, with regard to the integrated scratching portion, its size can be expressed and summarized overall in the range of 50 cm² to 0.5 cm², and its size can be up to about half of the solid substrate itself The thickness of said scratching portion can be identical to or greater than that of the solid substrate itself.

Other characteristics of exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a ticket according to the present invention, with the triangular integrated scratching portion slightly raised.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the inventive ticket of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view of an inventive ticket with the integrated scratching portion slightly raised.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a second exemplary embodiment of a ticket according to the present invention, with the integrated scratching portion of quadrangular shape.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a third exemplary embodiment of a ticket according to the present invention, with the integrated scratching portion shaped as a circular portion.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a fourth exemplary embodiment of a ticket according to the present invention, with the integrated scratching portion of triangular shape and foldable along a further axis.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a fifth exemplary embodiment of a ticket according to the present invention, with the integrated scratching portion shaped as an abstract form.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a sixth exemplary embodiment of a ticket according to the present invention, with the integrated scratching portion shaped as a number.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a seventh exemplary embodiment of a ticket according to the present invention, with the integrated scratching portion shaped as a letter of the alphabet.

As stated above, it is suitable to confirm that the borders, shapes and areas of the inventive ticket and the relative integrated scratching portion, shown in the Figures, must not be considered limiting of the present invention, since this is preferably directed towards any type, shape, size, diameter, color, process procedure and molding so long as it does not depart from the intrinsic concept of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It should be noted that only some of the possible exemplary embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the Figures as non-limiting examples; many other exemplary embodiments could be described on the basis of the particular identified technical solutions.

With reference to the different Figures, these show a ticket with data hidden by paint that can be scraped with an integrated scratching portion.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 9, such inventive ticket comprises a solid substrate 1, on which an area is made which reports, impressed thereon, sensitive data or in any case data to be concealed or hidden by a scrapable paint 3, whose removal occurs by means of the scraping operated by the person who purchases the aforesaid data. As can be specifically observed in FIG. 3, the scraping of said removable paint 3 preferably occurs by means of the integrated scratching portion 2, detachable from the aforesaid substrate 1 via the simple pressure of the user's fingers, i.e., via the user carrying out several circular oscillation movements with his fingers along at least one perforated axis x, which delimits the same integrated scratching portion 2. Said axis x can also be composed of a continuous pre-cut line which will break under the finger's action.

As shown in the Figures, the integrated scratching portion 2 can be made in the form of different configurations which, as non-limiting examples of the present invention, comprise animal and people shapes or triangular shape (FIGS. 1 and 2), quadrangular shape (FIG. 4), circular portion shape (FIG. 5), abstract shape (FIG. 7), number shape (FIG. 8), alphabet letter shape (FIG. 9) and so on, all in turn delimited by the perforated x axis or by said pre-cut line.

The present invention provides for further alternative embodiments corresponding with several variants of its structure. For example, even if up to now a single perforated or pre-cut axis x has been described, along which the detachment of the integrated scratching portion 2 is carried out and which delimits the aforesaid portion, this does not exclude that, as shown in FIG. 6, at least one further folding axis y can be used, along which at least one fold can be made of said integrated scratching portion 2, so as to impart to the latter a solidity suitable for carrying out an effective, safe scraping of the covering paint. In reality, such further folding axis y is only necessary in those cases where the inventive ticket is composed of material that is overly flexible for actuating the inventive function, i.e., mainly in the case of “scratch and win” instant lottery tickets simply made with a plasticized or semi-plasticized cardboard sheet, opacified with a sheet of tinfoil. However, in most cases, such types of tickets with hidden data are characterized by the presence of a high percentage of plasticizing elements in the constitution of the relative substrate 1 and integrated scratching portion 2 and hence the further folding axes y are rendered superfluous.

The present invention will result highly effective in the field of tickets that report data hidden by paint that can be removed by means of scraping, since the aforesaid inventive characteristics mainly regarding the preservation safety of the hidden data, the convenience and autonomy of use are easily attained during production, with minimum cost, and during use with an extreme facility and utility of use.

Even if the present invention has been described with reference to the specific and concrete exemplary embodiments shown in the Figures, it must not be considered as limited to the indicated details; the present invention must be considered as comprehensive of the modifications and changes that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention, as defined by the following claims. 

1-10. (canceled)
 11. A ticket, comprising: a substrate, comprising: an area which bears, impressed thereon, data concealed by a removable paint; and an integrated scratching portion detachable from the substrate along one of a perforated axis and a pre-cut axis via finger pressure of a user, the integrated scratching portion configured to remove the removable paint by scraping by the user.
 12. The ticket according to claim 11, wherein the integrated scratching portion is formed as at least one of a triangular shape, quadrangular shape, circular portion shape, abstract shape, alphabet letter shape and number shape, all delimited by the one of the perforated axis and the pre-cut axis having any shape.
 13. The ticket according to claim 11, wherein in addition to the one of the perforated axis and the pre-cut axis, along which the integrated scratching portion is detachable from the substrate, the integrated scratching portion includes at least one further folding axis along which at least one fold of the integrated scratching portion is made.
 14. The ticket according to claim 11, wherein the integrated scratching portion is detachable from the substrate via the user carrying out, with his fingers, several oscillation movements along the one of the perforated axis and the pre-cut axis delimiting the integrated scratching portion.
 15. The ticket according to claim 11, wherein the integrated scratching portion includes at least one of abstract shapes, letter shapes, writing and symbols.
 16. The ticket according to claim 11, wherein the substrate is made of at least one of natural cellulose materials, artificial cellulose materials, metallic materials, tinfoil, polymers, and plastic materials, and wherein the ticket is formed as a composite material having a plurality of superimposed and mutually joined sheets.
 17. The ticket according to claim 11, wherein a surface area of the integrated scratching portion is one of (i) in a range of about 50 cm² to 0.5 cm², and (ii) up to about half a surface area of the substrate.
 18. The ticket according to claim 11, wherein the scratching portion is already detached and sold together with the substrate.
 19. The ticket according to claim 11, wherein the integrated scratching portion is perforated by at least one hole such that the ticket can be hung by the hole.
 20. The ticket according to claim 11, wherein the ticket includes one of at least one adhesive layer and at least one magnetic layer such that the ticket can be adhered to one of a flat surface and a metal surface. 